Instagram Privacy For Non-Tech People: Simple, Safe Settings

For non-tech people, Instagram privacy can feel confusing fast. You just want to stay in control of your account without digging through endless settings or guessing what’s safe. And if you’re trying to track unfollows, giving out your password is a hard no.

That’s why FollowBuddy keeps things simple with a no-login, privacy-first approach. You stay in control, avoid sketchy shortcuts, and don’t hand over access to your account to random tools.

In this guide, you’ll learn the easiest privacy settings to lock down, how to control followers and messages, and how to check unfollows safely using your own data. No tech jargon, no panic, just clear steps you can use today.

Why Instagram Privacy Matters

Your Instagram privacy affects what information others can see about you. It also controls who can view your posts and who can contact you. Protecting this helps you stay safe and in control of your account. Nobody wants random people snooping, right?

Protecting Your Personal Information

Your personal info on Instagram includes your messages, photos, and even your list of followers. If this stuff lands in the wrong hands, someone could steal your identity or hack your account. Many apps ask for your Instagram password, which is a big risk. Sharing your login can lead to bans or hacks.

Instead, use tools that don’t need your password. Stick with methods that rely on legal data downloads from Instagram, so you never share sensitive details with anyone else. Only share your data with apps that respect your privacy and never require you to log in directly. If something feels off, trust your gut and walk away.

Controlling Who Sees Your Content

Your Instagram posts and stories are meant for specific people: friends, family, maybe a few followers you trust. Without good privacy settings, strangers could end up seeing your private moments.

You can adjust your settings to limit your audience. For example, a private account means only people you approve can see your content.

This stops randoms from following you without your say-so. Apps and trackers that require your login might secretly access more of your content than you’d like, so steer clear.

Avoiding Unwanted Contact

Unwanted messages, comments, or follows can be annoying or just plain creepy. Privacy controls let you block or mute specific accounts so they can’t bother you anymore.

If you don’t want strangers messaging you, set your account to private and control who can comment or DM. This keeps trolls or spammers out of your inbox.

Choosing safe Instagram tools that respect privacy means you avoid apps that might spam your account or open the door to more unwanted contact.

Understanding Instagram Privacy Settings

Instagram gives you control over who can see your posts, stories, and profile info. You can keep your account open to everyone or lock it down so only approved people can connect with you.

Plus, you get to decide what personal info is visible. This helps you stay safe and share only what you want, no more, no less.

Account Privacy Options

Your account can be Public or Private. Here’s the gist:

• A Public account means anyone can see your posts and stories. Great if you want to grow your audience, but it also means anyone, literally anyone, can peek at your activity.

• A Private account keeps your content visible only to people you approve. Your posts won’t show up in public searches or hashtags.

You can toggle these options in your Instagram settings at any time. If you care about privacy, switching to a Private Account is the quickest way to control who sees your stuff.

Even on private accounts, your profile picture, bio, and username stay public unless you delete or change them. That’s just how Instagram works.

Switching to a Private Account

Turning your account private is quick and painless.

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy.

2. Flip the switch to Private Account.

Once you’re private, new follower requests need your approval before they can see your posts. You get to decide who’s in your Instagram circle.

People who already follow you won’t get removed automatically. If you want them gone, you’ll need to remove them yourself.

Private accounts don’t stop people from seeing your comments on public accounts or tagged photos, so just be mindful of where you interact.

Managing Profile Information

Your profile shows your name, username, bio, website, and sometimes contact info. You decide what to share, which is pretty nice.

• Bio: Add as much or as little info as you want. Maybe skip the phone number or home address unless you absolutely have to.

• Profile Picture: This is public. Pick something you’re comfortable with anyone seeing.

• Personal Info: Instagram lets you hide or limit access to your email, phone, and birthday. Take advantage of that if you want more privacy.

If you want to lock things down, don’t connect your Instagram to other apps or services that share your info. It’s smart to review permissions once in a while. Keeping your profile simple and free of private details helps protect you from unwanted attention or spam. Why make it easy for strangers?

Controlling Your Audience

You have the power to shape who sees your posts and who interacts with you on Instagram. By controlling your audience, you keep your account private, safe, and focused on people you actually trust. This can help you avoid unwanted followers, spam, or just plain weird comments. Who needs that?

Approving Followers

If your Instagram account is private, you get to approve who follows you. When someone requests to follow, you’ll see their name in your follower requests.

You can tap Approve to let them see your posts or Delete to reject them. It’s smart to check their profiles first and see if they seem legit. Avoid approving accounts with no profile picture or anything that looks sketchy. Trust your instincts here.

Removing Followers

Sometimes, people follow you who you’d rather not have around. You can remove these followers anytime, even if your account is public.

Head to your Followers list, find the user you want gone, tap the three dots next to their name, and hit Remove. They won’t see your private posts or stories anymore.

This is handy if someone’s bothering you, spamming your comments, or you just want a fresh start. They won’t get notified, so no awkward confrontations.

Limiting Interactions

Instagram lets you limit how people interact with your posts. You can mute comments from certain users, block others, or restrict their messages.

To limit comments or messages, go to Settings > Privacy and block or restrict any follower. Restricting hides their comments so only you and they can see them. Blocking means they can’t see your profile or contact you at all.

Limiting interactions helps you avoid drama and keep your Instagram space positive. It’s a simple way to protect your privacy without unfollowing or removing people.

Managing Posts and Stories Privacy

You can control who sees your Instagram posts and stories using built-in privacy settings. This lets you keep certain content private or limit it to specific people.

You also have tools to manage who can comment on your posts, which helps cut down on unwanted messages.

Hiding Stories from Specific People

If you want to stop someone from seeing your Instagram stories, you can hide stories from them without blocking or unfollowing.

Go to your story settings, then “Hide Story From.” Select specific followers to hide your stories from. They won’t know you’ve done this, which is kind of nice.

This comes in handy if you want to share stories with most followers but keep some stuff away from certain people, coworkers, maybe, or acquaintances. Regular posts aren’t affected by this setting.

Close Friends List

Instagram lets you create a Close Friends list to share stories with only a select group. When you add people to this list, you can post stories just for them.

To set it up, go to your profile, then “Close Friends.” Add or remove people whenever you want. When you post a story, choose “Close Friends,” and only that group will see it.

This feature is great for sharing more personal or private moments. Your close friends won’t get notified when you add or remove them, so no drama there.

Controlling Comments on Posts

You can control who comments on your posts to keep conversations positive or block unwanted feedback.

Under “Comments” in your privacy settings, you can:

• Allow comments from everyone, only people you follow, your followers, or both

• Block comments from specific people by adding them to your “Blocked” list

• Filter offensive or spammy comments automatically using Instagram’s filter options

Using these tools helps you dodge rude or harmful comments. It just makes Instagram feel safer and more enjoyable.

Direct Messages and Privacy

Your Instagram inbox is a private place, and you control who gets to send you messages. You can limit message requests from strangers and block people who bother you.

These simple tools help keep your direct messages safe and, honestly, a lot less stressful.

Restricting Message Requests

You can stop random people from flooding your inbox by controlling message requests. Instagram lets you decide who can send you messages, maybe just your followers or friends.

If someone who isn’t allowed tries to message you, their message lands in a separate requests folder. You can ignore or delete it, and the sender never finds out.

To restrict message requests, head to Settings > Privacy > Messages. Pick who can send you direct messages, or add exceptions for certain people if you want.

This way, you reduce unwanted messages and keep your usual chats from getting cluttered.

Blocking Unwanted Senders

If someone keeps spamming or bothering you, blocking them is the best move. Once you block a sender, they can’t message you or see your profile anymore.

Open their profile, tap the three dots, and select “Block.” They won’t get notified, but they’ll lose access to your messages and posts.

Tagging, Mentions, and Privacy

Understanding how tagging and mentions work helps you control what others share about you on Instagram. You can set limits on who tags you and how mentions in comments and stories appear.

This keeps your profile cleaner and your privacy safer, at least in theory.

Controlling Who Can Tag You

Instagram lets you decide who can tag you in photos and comments. Your choices are:

• Everyone: Anyone can tag you, no limits.

• People You Follow: Only accounts you follow can tag you.

• No One: No one can tag you unless you approve first.

To avoid unwanted tags, turn on the setting requiring your approval before tags show on your profile. This stops strangers or spammy accounts from tagging you.

Tagging can expose your profile to new people. If you’d rather keep things low-key, stick with the safest option here.

Managing Mentions in Comments and Stories

Mentions happen when someone types your @username in a comment or story. You can limit who can mention you by adjusting your Mentions settings under privacy.

Your options are:

• Everyone

• People You Follow

• No One

Limiting mentions helps cut down on unwanted attention and spam. When people mention you in stories, you can hide those if you want.

Watch out for apps that claim to track who mentioned you but ask for your Instagram password. Those are risky; best to steer clear.

Location and Activity Privacy

Your location and activity status on Instagram can reveal when and where you are. Sometimes that feels like sharing a bit too much.

Controlling these settings helps you stay more private and decide who gets to see your info.

Turning Off Location Sharing

Instagram can add your location to posts and stories by default if your phone’s GPS is on. To stop this, go to your phone’s settings and turn off location access for Instagram.

This way, the app won’t track or tag where you are. You can also skip adding location tags manually before sharing a photo or story.

Keeping location off helps protect your privacy from followers who might use this info in ways you don’t want. It also helps avoid giving away your daily routines to strangers.

Managing Activity Status

Instagram shows a green dot or “last active” time next to your name in messages. If you want more privacy, you can turn this off.

Open Instagram settings, go to Privacy, then Activity Status, and flip off “Show Activity Status.” Now, others won’t see when you’re online.

Keep in mind, when you hide your activity, you can’t see others’ activity either. It’s a trade-off, but sometimes privacy is worth it.

Staying Safe from Scams and Fake Accounts

Dodging scams and fake accounts on Instagram means paying close attention to what you receive and who you interact with. Knowing how to spot odd messages and how to report suspicious profiles protects you and your followers.

Recognizing Suspicious Messages

If you get a message asking for your Instagram password or personal info, don’t reply. Real Instagram will never ask for your login.

Watch out for messages with urgent warnings, like “Your account will be deleted!” or promises to boost your followers fast. These are almost always scams.

Be suspicious of links sent by strangers. Clicking them can steal your data or install harmful apps. If something feels off or too good to be true, trust your gut.

Reporting Fake or Harmful Accounts

If you spot a fake account pretending to be someone else or sending spam, use Instagram’s report feature right away. Reporting helps keep Instagram safe for everyone.

Look for signs like no profile picture, odd usernames, or weird posts. Accounts that only send unsolicited messages or ask for money are usually fake.

Keeping Your Account Secure

Your Instagram account is personal, and keeping it safe should be simple. The biggest risk comes from apps that ask for your login details.

Sharing your password with these apps can lead to hacks, bans, or shadowbans. Just don’t do it, seriously.

Here’s what to look for in a safe Instagram unfollower tracker:

The safest trackers respect your privacy and never try to sneak in with fake reviews or hidden fees. Keeping your Instagram circle honest shouldn’t cost you your account security.

What to Do If Your Privacy Is Compromised

If you think your Instagram privacy has been compromised, act fast. First, change your Instagram password right away.

This stops anyone who might have your old password from sneaking into your account. Next, check your Instagram settings for any apps that have access.

Remove apps you don’t trust, especially those that ask for your password. Many risky apps promise to help you find unfollowers, but end up putting your account in danger.

Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This adds an extra step when you log in, making it harder for hackers to get in, even if they have your password.

Avoid using apps that ask for your Instagram login. Stick to tools that never ask for your password.

Here’s a quick checklist:

Staying safe means staying in control. The right steps protect you without drama or risk.

Stay Private Without The Headache

Instagram privacy for non-tech people comes down to a few simple wins: lock down your settings, control who can reach you, and never share your password with “helper” tools. 

If you want to check unfollows, stick to methods that use your own data so you’re not gambling with your account.

FollowBuddy is built for that exact pain point: no-login checks that keep you in control and avoid sketchy access requests. Ready to begin? Start a free follow check today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I adjust my privacy settings to keep my account safe on Instagram?

Go to your Instagram profile, tap the menu, and open Settings. Choose Privacy to control who can see your posts, stories, and activity. Turn on features like Account Privacy and Story Sharing to stay in control.

What steps do I need to follow to make my Instagram account private?

Open Settings and navigate to Privacy. Switch on Private Account. Only followers you approve can see your posts and stories. You can manage follow requests to accept or deny people who want to follow you.

Can I control who sees my Instagram posts and stories?

Yes. You can limit story visibility by choosing Close Friends or hiding stories from specific users. For posts, a private account ensures only approved followers see your content. You can also block or remove followers if needed.

Is there a way to review and manage my followers on Instagram?

Yes. Go to your profile and tap Followers to review who follows you. You can remove followers by tapping the three dots next to their name and choosing Remove.

What should I do if I suspect someone is viewing my private Instagram without permission?

First, check your followers list for unknown accounts. Remove or block any suspicious users. If you want to be extra cautious, use privacy-safe tools that don’t require your Instagram login to monitor your followers and unfollowers.

How do I prevent unknown users from sending me direct messages on Instagram?

Head over to Settings, then tap Privacy and find Messages. Here, you can tweak message controls so that only people you follow, or your followers, can reach out to you directly. If someone keeps sending you unwanted messages, just restrict or block them. It’s quick and sometimes necessary.